Historically Haute @ Etsy

Leather Bracelets

Goofus Brooch

Goofus Brooch becomes a necklace! These new designs and many more will be seen at First Thursday at the Mildred, 9/6/2012.

Virgin Mary and Child Charm

Coral Shoe Clip

Dress Clips and Crusifix

Lovely transformed dress clips.

Earrings

A trio of earrings!

Tray of Treasures

Tray of Treasures

New design going to Etsy, historicallyhaute@etsy.com

New choker necklace see more in my Etsy store, historicallyhaute@etsy.com The bidding continues on "Ringy Dingy Bracelet". Do I hear $55?

Cameo and Crucifix

The Olympics have me struggling between my designs and chanting USA! These are going to Etsy and Ashton House!

Cameo and Crucifix 2

McClelland

Three Sisters Bracelets

Three Sisters

Crown Necklace

Ashton House and historicallyhaute@etsy.com

Twin sisters shoe clips

Sisters captured in tiny frames that once graced the shoes of a flapper. I wonder if these shoe clips can dance the Charleston?

Asian Object Necklace

I hope you will visit me at Summer in the City event, Nederland, TX, June 9.

......this and that

This odd element becomes the focal for blue quarts beauty.

Shooting Star Bracelet

Falling Star

Guardian Angel

Guardian Angel

Ashton House

My little shop in Ashton House, Beaumont, TX

Auction Offering for Sweet Pups Foster Care

I was so excited to be included in a fundraiser for Sweet Pups Rescue for animals in need of homes. Here is a picture of the bracelet I created for an online auction. http://www.facebook.com/sweetpupsonlinestore In the back ground is a sketch I did one day while I was subbing for a teacher in an art class. This is my sweet Olive who is such a funny girl. She loves to sleep under my work station while I work. She is never far away. Always on the job to protect me and comfort me.

Ringy Dingy Bracelet

I am suddenly crazy about red backgrounds!

Restoration of a Beauty

Spring has just about slipped away and summertime is calling my name. School will be done in just two weeks and I will renew my devotion to my jewelry work. While teaching these past months, there have been a few projects that have taken the forefront during a rare stay at home spring weekend. This April I acquired a vintage dress form while shopping Marburger Farms at the annual Spring Antique Market in Round Top, Texas. What a find! I had been researching and looking around for a dress form to use to display my jewelry for some months now. I found my girl torn and tattered but structurally sound. She was in my price range. I convinced myself I had the ability to restore her in a way that would not detract from her authenticity, age and purpose. Following are the steps I took to redress my form and adorn her for display. The damage was limited to the area from the neck and chest to her waist. There was just enough shredded fabric on the bib area remaining to reconstruct a paper pattern.

Step One

Carefully peeling away the outer layer allowed for inspection of the under covering.

Dress form side view

Step Two

The first task was to recreate the look of the aged fabric. Using strong tea brewed from tea bags, I soaked new muslin overnight. Next came the sewing project to rebuild the tattered front.

dressform

Dress form finished neck

Dress Form close up sewing

Replacing the completely lost neck padding and covering proved to be challenging. I found that hand stitching was not possible with a standard needle. I had never used a rounded needle, but in this case, it worked to perfection.

Steps Three and Four

After stitching the new dyed fabric in place new seam binding replaced the worn binding. This step required dyeing the seam binding to match using tea for stain and hand stitching to ensure that the seams would hold when stitching to the older, fragile fabric. I used a small paint brush to brush each seam with a thin application of no fray. Once the stitching was complete, it was necessary to brew more tea. I discovered using the tea bag as a brush created the tonal look of aged fabric. This was messy, but the effect was perfect.

Adorned

Dad

A Gift for My Dear Mother

Contessa

Assemblage Necklace

Madonna and Child

Blue Lily

Urban Chic Photo Shoot

Happy 4th Everyone!

I love this but aren't we all glad we won't be wearing it to the celebrations this evening!

My Collections

Forever Yours Walter

The closing from a letter my grandfather wrote to my grandmother in 1930 becomes the background of the bezel.